If you take a look back at our last blog, we talked about why we often use the phrase “It’s A Jungle Out There.” Sometimes it feels like wherever there is a need, there is also a person or a company looking to exploit it. (We’re not always cynical…just cautious) Would you even believe it if we told you there was a company that existed today, that could help you restore your good credit that was a member in good standing ofThe National Association of Credit Services Organizationsand was a NON-PROFIT organization?

Believe it.

CredZoo is a 501C3 organization. While a 501C3 is generally thought of as a charitable organization, our mission is to help people with bad credit through our unique and effective credit restoration process. We care about our clients more than profits. Nothing is more important to CredZoo than your credit goals. CredZoo cares about getting results for our customers!

We are so confident in our ability to help you, that we challenge you to put us to work for you. If you’re serious about discussing ways you can improve your credit score, we’re here to help. Our credit specialists are experienced, friendly, and will help you determine the best course of action to achieve your goals — all at no obligation or cost to you. Call us for your free consultation at 888-881-5333.

Have you ever wondered why CredZoo uses the line, “It’s A Jungle Out There” when referring to the world of credit and credit repair? Well do a quick search on google and you’ll find out! People with bad credit are top targets for people and organizations looking to take advantage of someone in a tight spot, with limited (reliable) options. Search for ‘loans for people with bad credit‘ and you get over 25,000,000 results; everything from ‘bad credit daddy’ to ‘snappy money’ promising instant loan processing, no credit checks and unsecured loans with the highest approval rates. Does it sound too good to be true?

It is! Rooting around through these 25,000,000 websites, trying to find a reputable company to help you repair and restore your credit so you can get a real, reliable loan is exactly why CredZoo says: “It’s A Jungle Out There!” If you’re serious about discussing ways you can improve your credit score, we’re here to help. Our credit specialists are experienced, friendly, and will help you determine the best course of action to achieve your goals — all at no obligation or cost to you. Call us for your free consultation at 888-881-5333.

Your credit report contains information about where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued or arrested, or have filed for bankruptcy. Credit reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s credit reporting companies. Some financial advisers and consumer advocates, like CredZoo, suggest that you review your credit report periodically. Why?

* Because the information it contains affects whether you can get a loan — and how much you will have to pay to borrow money.

* To make sure the information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date before you apply for a loan for a major purchase like a house or car, buy insurance, or apply for a job.

* To help guard against identity theft. That’s when someone uses your personal information — like your name, your Social Security number, or your credit card number — to commit fraud. Identity thieves may use your information to open a new credit card account in your name. Then, when they don’t pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report. Inaccurate information like that could affect your ability to get credit, insurance, or even a job.

How to Order Your Free Report

The three nationwide credit reporting companies have set up one website, toll-free telephone number, and mailing address through which you can order your free annual report. To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You can use the form in this brochure, or you can print it from ftc.gov/credit. Do not contact the three nationwide credit reporting companies individually. They are providing free annual credit reports only through annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

You may order your reports from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies at the same time, or you can order from only one or two. The law allows you to order one free copy from each of the nationwide credit reporting companies every 12 months.

You need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. If you have moved in the last two years, you may have to provide your previous address. To maintain the security of your file, each nationwide credit reporting company may ask you for some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. Each company may ask you for different information because the information each has in your file may come from different sources.

To use credit intelligently, start by examining the terms of the card(s) you are currently using. Keeping track of your cards, their rates, and your current balances will help you to be aware of how you use credit cards. Increased competition in recent years has led some credit card companies to offer enticing features to attract new cardholders, including no annual fees and low interest rates for an introductory period. (And credit card companies sometimes will give their introductory rates to existing cardholders so that they won’t transfer their balances to another credit card company.)

The cost of credit repair is small compared to the cost of living with bad credit. Below are a few examples from CredZoo.org of the cost of bad credit:

Auto Loan

If you are making vehicle payments, you are, most likely, paying between $4,000 and $10,000 more over the course of the loan just for having credit score issues. This added interest shows up every month in a higher payment.

Example: Car Loan $23,000 Vehicle Financed for 5 Years

Credit Status

Rate

Payment

Interest Paid

High Credit Score

3%

$413

$1,796

Slightly Damaged

9%

$477

$5,646

Damaged

18%

$584

$12,042

Home Loan

Damaged credit on a vehicle is nothing compared to the effect of damaged credit on a home loan. A typical home can cost between $180,000 and $300,000 more in interest of the 30 year loan, if you are buying the home with damaged credit.

Blogger Todd Ossenfort has been known as “The Credit Guy” for the past three years. Now he’s hanging up his mouse and keyboard and leaving his readers with his top 5 tips for good credit. We’d like to share them with you here!

1. Saving is essential to avoid unwanted and often problem debt. If you don’t have an emergency savings account of six to 12 months of income saved, start today. Save whatever amount you can regularly (each pay period) even if it is only $25. As you get in the habit of saving, increase the amount as you can afford to do so. Save something every month, even if you are struggling to pay down debt.

2. Never co-sign, especially for a family member. Generally speaking, if a lender is not willing to loan money to someone, you shouldn’t either. Co-signing for a loan or credit card for another person is a great way to ruin a valuable relationship — and your own credit. If the person can’t or won’t make payments, your credit will suffer and you will be held responsible for paying.

3. Check your credit report annually. Place a reminder on your calendar and get your free credit report each year. Reviewing your credit report at least annually will help detect identity theft early. It’ll also help insure there aren’t any inaccurate entries on your report. When you work with CredZoo, this is done for you. One less item to worry about! CredZoo has a free credit report analysis. We can look at your reports and see if we can help you before you sign up.

4. Avoid using credit to extend your income. Living within your means is key to avoiding large credit card debt. If you are using credit each month to pay for essentials, you need to take a hard look at your monthly spending and make cuts to bring your spending in line with your income. Simple budgeting 101.

5. Know your rights when dealing with collectors and use bankruptcy protection when it is needed — and only if it is needed. Learn your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and keep collectors from intimidating you into promises you can’t afford to keep.

One of the rights you are given under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is to challenge inaccurate, misleading and obsolete items appearing on your credit report. CredZoo uses every venue available under the law to help you assert these rights. Disputing items on your credit report is your legal right. When you use CredZoo to help repair your credit, we are abiding by and using all federal and regional laws regulating third party credit repair assistance.

Contacts us today for more information on any of these 5 tips or to learn more about CredZoo’s services and the FCRA: 1-888-881-5333

It’s a fact that many of the things we want to buy must be financed or purchased on credit: cars, homes and electronics are just a few examples! To earn the ability to finance these items at a reasonable rate it is essential to maintain a good credit rating in America today.

Unfortunately, once you have had a bad credit rating it feels almost impossible to reverse or repair the damage.

Our country’s highly networked society of financial institutions record and store every bit of information about us and our money. They share that information with the credit reporting agencies who keep track of every person who buys on credit, making it impossible to “hide” or avoid a bad credit rating! Each time someone applies for credit, the financial lender will check their credit with at least one of these agencies.

To make matters worse, now, both Employers and Insurance Companies are making determinations about us based on our credit. That means that you could be paying higher insurance rates, or be passed over for that job or promotion because your credit is unfavorable.

It’s estimated that the average person with below prime credit is penalized $12,000.00 or more each year for their low credit score. It just doesn’t seem fair, does it?

It’s easy to see why it’s important to stay on top of your credit rating; especially when the Fair Credit Reporting Act places the responsibility squarely on you to make sure your credit report is accurate. The only problem with this responsibility is that there is no manual, no help file and no teacher to show you how to take on the task of correcting or repairing your credit! Without knowing of the resources available to them, most Americans just live with whatever is on their credit report.

If you are one of the millions of Americans who have had credit problems, do not give up! You have the ability – and the responsibility – to correct and repair your credit. Even if you have negative items in your report, such as late payments, liens, or bankruptcies, there are things that you can do to rebuild your credit!

CredZoo works with people every day to help them address, repair and restore their credit. Speak to one of the CredZoo advisors to learn how to get started. Your CredZoo advisor will work closely with you and help you get the credit you deserve.

Credit plays an important role in our lives and most of us take it for granted. We tend to over spend, run up our credit cards and then complain about the high rates and the predictable consequences of our actions.

We live in a world where we’re constantly bombarded by ads and media messages creating this illusion of need that fosters our desire for instant gratification. The average American sees over 3,000 advertising messages each day. Most of them conveying the message that we need to “buy” to be happy. So what do we do? We buy and we use credit unwisely.

What we should be doing is guarding the available credit that we have for those true emergencies we ultimately will face in life.

Almost every day we hear of some disaster that has afflicted some part of our world from Hurricanes in Florida to massive floods in Europe and now Australia. We see these events and think that couldn’t happen to us; but the truth of the matter is that it very easily could! That’s when your Credit life line could become invaluable to you. Think of the people that have had to suffer through some of these events who had little or no credit available to them. What means could they use to secure transportation? Food? Or even materials to repair when no banks or ATM’s are accessible.

While your credit alone cannot save you in a dire situation, it can give you more options. This alone can be of immense help.

We all need to protect our credit, and if you have less than stellar credit you might want to consider learning how you might improve you credit situation today. CredZoo works with people every day to improve their Credit life line.

Do you know how many credit reports contain errors? No? Well, apparently, you’re not alone. Over 7 years ago, Congress directed the FTC to conduct a study of credit report accuracy. The study began with legislation passed in 2003 and continues through 2012, with a final report to be issued in 2014. Interim reports are due every two years. The 2010 interim report was issued on January 12, 2011 and you can read it by clicking here: Overview of Design of National Study of Credit Report Accuracy.

A very small study spurned this FTC investigation into credit report accuracy. The US Public Research Group surveyed just 200 consumers and found that 80% of reports contained some kind of mistake, while 25% contained “serious” errors.

According to Gerri Detweiler of Credit.com, the FTC investigation is being conducted in the following manner:

“- Invitations have been sent by mail to a large number of consumers, with the goal of getting 1000 consumers to participate. The FTC is sending more invitations to consumers with below-average credit scores in an attempt to make sure those consumers are adequately represented in the study.

– Consumers review their reports with the help of experts, and get their initial FICO scores. Possible mistakes are identified and the reports are sent to FICO for rescoring to determine how those mistakes may impact the consumer’s credit scores (first rescoring).

– If the reports are corrected, the corrected files are sent to FICO for a second rescoring.”

The results of this study will be very meaningful and will hopefully help consumers and creditors alike put an accurate amount of emphasis on credit reports. But what can you do in the meantime? Did you know that even if you’re not part of the FTC’s sample of consumers you can still get assistance in reviewing and disputing items in your credit report? The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to dispute any credit listing on your credit reports that you feel may be inaccurate, untimely, misleading or unverifiable. If a credit bureau cannot verify the accuracy of a disputed listing, it must be removed from your credit report.

To find out more, and to learn how CredZoo can help you clean up your credit report contact us for a FREE credit consultation: www.CredZoo.org or 888-881-5333

Call For A Free Consulation

888-881-5333

If you're serious about discussing ways you can improve your credit score, we're here to help. Our credit specialists are experienced, friendly, and will help you determine the best course of action to achieve your goals — all at no obligation or cost to you.